


Christmas Present

by ohayohimawari



Series: Romance of the Retired Kage [2]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Angst and Feels, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Awkward Ninjas, Awkward Romance, Christmas, Developing Relationship, Dorks in Love, Eventual Smut, F/M, Falling In Love, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Smut, Hatake Kakashi Has Issues, Holidays, Idiots in Love, POV Hatake Kakashi, POV Terumi Mei, Rare Pairings, Relationship(s), Romance, Romantic Angst, Romantic Fluff, Smut, Terumi Mei Has Her Own Hangups, romantic smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-13
Updated: 2018-12-23
Packaged: 2019-09-17 20:04:33
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 10,801
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16980945
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ohayohimawari/pseuds/ohayohimawari
Summary: Two retired Kages continue their romance into the first major holiday they spend together in this sequel to "For Mei."





	1. Best-Laid Plans

**Author's Note:**

> Did I already say that I fell in love with the two awkward, earnest ninjas I wrote in "For Mei?" Then let me say it again: I fell in love with that pair, so deeply in fact, that I had to revisit them and write another holiday fic for them. I hope you enjoy it!
> 
> I do not own these characters, I'm having a wonderful time exploring them.

To the civilians of Konoha, the retired Rokudaime Hokage appeared much as he ever did as he strolled the streets of the Hidden Leaf with questionable reading material in hand. But those that knew him well detected a change in the silver-haired prodigy that not even his mask could hide.

Kakashi knew this and didn’t mind at all, especially because the reason remained a secret.

It had been seven weeks since he’d attended the International Halloween Gala with the retired Godaime Mizukage, four weeks since they’d decided to spend Christmas together and one week since he’d last seen her. Despite the difficulties that distance and their respective obligations caused the pair, they had managed to see each other often enough that even Mei had lost count of how many dates they’d been on. Kakashi chuckled that he hadn’t, as he recalled the exact number.

His hidden smirk lingered as he walked across the very bridge that had sheltered their first passionate exchange. He would go out of his way to cross this bridge and revisit one of his favorite secrets, but today this was the most direct path to his destination.

After weeks of considering far too many options ranging from practical to ridiculous, Kakashi had spotted the perfect present for Mei in a darkened shop window the night before. The way the moonlight had glinted off a pair of silver hair combs had caught his attention, and the image of her weaving them into her abundant locks had held it. He’d set out that morning to be there when the shop had opened, and because he’d been their first customer of the day, the owner had plenty of time and cheer to wrap his gift artfully.

Nearing the bridge on his return trip to drop the gift at his apartment brought a smile to his face again. Kakashi wondered if and where he could make a similar memory for Mei in the Hidden Mist Village and the idea made more than his lips twitch. To distract himself, he directed his mind to the details of his upcoming holiday travel plans.

The international railways connected the allied Hidden Villages as they had never been before. What used to take days now took hours, and for his part in it, Kakashi was proud. Although it had been Lord Seventh that cut the ribbon at the opening ceremony, it was Lord Sixth’s signature on the contract to have the tracks laid down. At the time, he’d considered it as a means of keeping his promise to his teammates-past and present-to maintain peace between the shinobi nations. Now, he had a personal reason to be grateful for the convenience it offered.

Kakashi would leave Konoha on the morning of the twenty-third and Sukea would arrive in Kirikagure that evening. He and Mei had taken to disguising themselves when they traveled to each other’s villages to avoid the fanfare that a visiting dignitary would cause. Her playful nature had manifested in the guises she adopted to meet him in, but the biggest surprise had been that she’d recognized him immediately as the photographer that had stepped off the train in the Mist. “ _It was your smile,”_ she’d explained afterward, as she traced his bottom lip with a delicate fingernail before kissing him.

Kakashi shook his head to reign in his thoughts that had once again drifted to a private moment between himself and Mei. He focused on the time his train would depart on the morning of the twenty-third. He had chosen to travel that day in case the weather would cause a delay, leaving him an option to postpone his departure and still arrive in time for the holiday. As it turned out, a storm _was_ predicted, but not until the twenty-sixth, and he didn’t mind the idea that he’d have to extend his visit with her to avoid it. If he was going to be stuck anywhere during his travels, he hoped it would be in her bed.

Kakashi sighed, thankful to be near his apartment as walking had become steadily more awkward thanks to the images his mind conjured of past and future pleasures with Mei. Just as he was channeling chakra to his feet to begin the ascent up the side of the building to his kitchen window, one of Konoha’s finest came barreling around the corner towards him.

“Eternal Rival!” The injuries that confined him to a wheelchair had done nothing to diminish the spirit and appearance of the Hidden Leaf’s Blue Beast. “How are you this morning?”

“Great actually,” Kakashi chuckled. “How are you?”

His self-appointed rival leaned forward in his chair, knitting his massive eyebrows together as he scrutinized Kakashi. “There’s something different about you lately,” he spoke in an uncharacteristically soft and serious manner.

“There is?” Kakashi’s grey eyes darted upwards in mock contemplation as Maito nodded his head.

“Mm-hmm. You seem…happier.”

Kakashi couldn’t deny Gai’s slow, careful and correct assessment even as he was shocked to realize it himself, but he was spared from having to reply when his former second-in-command continued: “and I think I know why. Kakashi, you’re a lucky man.”

“I am?”

“Yes.” Gai folded his arms across his chest and nodded again. “You’ve finally realized that you’ve retired with plenty of time to enjoy the summer of our youth.” Then he balled one fist and strained against the tears that welled up in his eyes. “This year’s Christmas will be truly special! Kurenai sent me to come and invite you again, and I can’t wait to tell her that this is the year you’ll finally join us!” The green-clad man suddenly pivoted his chair so quickly he nearly threw himself from it and went back the way he’d come faster than he’d ever run before.

“Gai! Wait-Gai!” His shouts couldn’t be heard above his rival’s open weeping as the other man sped away. Kakashi released a frustrated breath and finished the journey to his apartment.

Once inside, he paced the kitchen floor. His first thought had been to explain to Kurenai that Gai was mistaken and that he’d had other plans for the holiday. But then he was haunted by all the times he’d ignored the few remaining peers he had in Konoha. All the invitations he’d refused over the years piled up on his conscience.

He set Mei’s gift down on his kitchen table and walked to the telephone he’d had installed on the opposite wall of the room. The familiar feeling of disappointing someone important to him settled uncomfortably in his stomach as he dialed a number he’d long since memorized.

“Hello?” Kakashi closed his eyes to the flutters that Mei’s gentle voice sent coursing through him.

“Hi, it’s me.” He never thought he would’ve been able to announce himself that way to someone.

“Hi, I was just thinking about you.” Mei giggled.

“Mei, I’m so sorry, but I can’t come to the Mist for Christmas," Kakashi rushed the words out as it felt like his stomach had dropped to the floor.


	2. Regrets of the Past

It didn’t take long for Mei’s worries to fill the heavy silence. She could almost feel it from Kakashi’s end of the phone call. “What’s happened? Are you alright?”

“N-nothing, I’m fine. There’s nothing to worry about,” she heard him stammer through the receiver.

“Then what is it?” She breathed, shocked at the intensity of the relief that washed over her to know he was not in danger.

Kakashi took a few moments before answering. “I’m expected elsewhere, and I can’t refuse. Mei, there are things about me that I haven’t told you. Things that I’m not proud of…” he trailed off, and she heard him take a deep breath. “I haven’t been a good friend to those that have stood by me my whole life. They want to spend Christmas with me, and I can’t say ‘no’ to them again.”

Hurt and anger are dangerous emotions to combine within a woman, and Mei felt both as she clamped her mouth shut. Her temper was rising fast, and she needed to end the call before she embarrassed herself by behaving irrationally.

“I see.” She shut her eyes to her own terse reply. She attempted to swallow the growing lump in her throat and struggled to sound calm. “Perhaps we’ll meet after the holiday. Merry Christmas Kakashi.”

“Mei, please I’m so-” Kakashi’s voice sounded distant as she dropped the receiver from her ear, ending the call before he issued another apology she didn’t want to hear.

She placed one trembling hand next to the phone on the table near her door and brought the other up to her throat. Her heart was pounding so hard; she half expected it to burst out of her chest. Mei sought to make sense of the emotions that had driven her reaction.

She was hurt, understandably so, because she was disappointed by his sudden cancellation of the plans they’d made a month ago. However, his reason for doing so evoked more anger from her than she thought it deserved. She hissed at the unwelcome thought of Kakashi enjoying the holiday with his lifelong friends instead of her. Mei’s eyes flew open as realization struck her.

_She was jealous._

She jumped when the phone suddenly rang again. Typically, it was a welcome sound because it most often meant that Kakashi wanted to speak to her. Now the idea annoyed her, and she stared at it as if to intimidate the object into silence. Mei counted the number of rings until they stopped, and she could resume her thoughts.

 _‘How could I be jealous of his friends?’_ Mei couldn’t help but think that was unfair of her, but there it was, and she couldn’t ignore it. She wouldn’t want Kakashi to be angry at her for wanting to spend time with an old friend of hers, and-

She looked up at her door as the source of her jealous anger became clear. Mei had no one whom she could designate as an ‘old friend.’ Lifelong friendships had been impossible to create in the Blood Mist Village she’d been born into.

Mei swayed on her feet under the weight of memories from her graduation exam and the years of her life that led up to the fall of the Yondaime Mizukage. She reached her hands out to her door to steady herself and turned her body around to lean against it.

Her eyes searched the room for something else to focus on, darting between the boxes of ornaments she’d recently purchased and the gift she was wrapping when Kakashi’s call had interrupted her. Mei closed her eyes and clapped a hand over her mouth to trap her self-loathing thoughts inside her head.

How could she have thought she could become close to someone, she had no right to the happiness that came from caring for someone. Mei was convinced she didn’t deserve to be cared for in return. She couldn’t share these parts of her past with Kakashi; he would think she was a monster.

 _‘And he would be correct,’_ she thought as she covered her face with her hands.

The phone beside her rang again, and the harsh sound pulled a strangled moan from deep within her. Before Mei could stop herself, she released some of her pain along with a cloud of acid, melting the phone and the table beneath it. The silence that followed the final, garbled ring pressed upon her.

Mei reached for the doorknob and the escape her old office could provide to her. She was certain the current Mizukage wouldn’t mind her assistance with the mountain of mind-numbing paperwork she needed to lose herself in.

 

It was dark when Mei reluctantly opened the door to her home again. Ten hours of unnecessarily detailed and mundane documents hadn’t been enough to distract her from the sorrow that had firmly lodged itself within her chest. Out of habit, she tugged off her earrings and made to set them on the table beside her door as she closed it behind her. She opened her eyes to the sound of them hitting the floor before casting her defeated gaze to the rest of the room.

Moonlight shone through her windows, illuminating her purchases and plans for spending Christmas with Kakashi and she gave herself over to the tears that had already begun streaming down her face.

Mei’s muffled sobs echoed in the room until they were interrupted by a knock at her door. Startled, she stepped forward toward the table where Kakashi’s gift still lay partially wrapped, wiping her face and nose as she choked out “who is it?”

“It’s me,” came the soft reply from a very tired-sounding baritone voice on the other side of her door.

Mei stood silent and still, unsure of what to do or say as she heard her door open and close again behind her unexpected guest.

With her back still turned to him, Mei listened to his knees creak and the sound of him collecting her earrings from the floor. “Well, that explains why you didn’t answer the phone. I was afraid of how angry you might be.” Kakashi approached her “Even so, I had to come.”

“Stay where you are,” Mei overcompensated on her efforts to keep the tears that fell again out of her voice, and her directive was issued more firmly than she meant it. She attempted to soften her tone as she explained, “I haven’t finished wrapping your present.”

She turned to face him, knowing she wouldn’t be able to hide the evidence of the emotions she’d fought against all day. Guilt clouded his eyes as he began to speak. “Mei, I…truly, I’m so-”

She interrupted him by holding her hand up. “Kakashi, I was angry-I _am_ angry-but not for the reasons you might think, and not all of it is directed at you.” Mei drew in a shuddering breath as she lowered her hand.

“There are things in my past that I’m not proud of either.” Her voice withered as she spoke, and she rushed to get the rest of the words out before it failed her entirely. “I’m not sure I could ever share them with you, and I don’t know where that leaves us.”

Mei wrapped her arms around herself defensively. “I certainly have not been a good friend to those in my past, and while I’m disappointed, I understand that you’d want to spend time with those precious to you.”

“That means you, Mei.” Kakashi obeyed her wish to stay where he was and reached to pull her into an embrace.

“I’m an idiot,” he whispered into her ear. “I should’ve just asked you to come to Konoha instead.” He bent down so his eyes could search hers. “I want to spend Christmas with you Mei. I’ve come here hoping you’ll come back with me.”

“Are you sure you want me around your friends?” Mei couldn’t help the private misgivings that leaked out in her whispered words.

“Very sure.” Kakashi pulled his mask down to kiss her forehead. “I’ve already told Kurenai that I’m bringing a guest and she nearly fainted. Thank goodness she didn’t because it’s her genjutsu that makes it appear like I’m at home right now.”

A chuckle escaped Mei as her tears finally came to a halt. Kakashi ran his thumbs across her cheeks to wipe the last of them away. “I know I’m the most unlikely person to be in a hurry, but the last train for the day leaves in an hour, and I have two tickets for it. Please Mei, will you come back with me?”

Mei smiled before kissing him softly. “Yes,” she whispered against his lips, and she took a step back from him.

“Good,” Kakashi’s relief was evident through a smile of his own and his eyes drifted to the boxes of ornaments stacked in the room. “What was your plan for these?” He asked, pointing to them.

“I was hoping we could choose a tree and decorate it together.” Mei clasped her hands together in front of her. She was raw from emotion, and suddenly her plan seemed too domestic and silly for a couple of retired Kages.

“I can’t remember the last time I decorated one.” Kakashi’s head tilted upwards in thought before he turned it again to look at her. “I think we can find a suitable Christmas tree at the Village Hidden in the Leaves.” He winked. “How many suitcases do you have?”


	3. Uncertainties of the Future

Kakashi had never been able to sleep in, no matter how late it had been when he went to bed. He laid still with his eyes closed, listening to the sound of Mei’s gentle breathing as she slept.

Their late-night train had delivered them to Konoha in the wee hours of the morning. Although she had nodded off a few times during the journey, they both collapsed onto his bed almost as soon as they’d arrived at his apartment.

Kakashi slowly propped himself up on one elbow and watched Mei sleep. Her eyes were still puffy from whatever it was that had upset her so much the day before. While he was relieved he hadn’t been the sole reason; he still felt the pangs of guilt for having caused a part of it.

He wondered what horrors she’d experienced. Kakashi hadn’t asked Mei about her childhood or adolescence because he knew enough of Kirigakure’s bloody past to know there _had_ to be plenty to haunt her. He could accept that there were things about her that she wanted to keep to herself. He had his own dark secrets he doubted he could ever share.

The shadows of Mei’s past were part of what led her to lay beside him in his bed that morning. Kakashi decided he could be satisfied with that and respect her privacy. She had respected his, after all.

Whatever lurked in her memories didn’t disturb her now as she lay peacefully asleep. Mei had been too tired to brush or braid her hair before they went to bed; she hadn’t even unpacked her suitcase. Instead, she’d peeled off her dress and slipped into the shirt Kakashi had just discarded from himself before she crawled under his shuriken bedspread.

Her auburn locks fanned out from her head in tangles on the pillow. Kakashi thought he would offer to help Mei brush them out before they would go in search of a tree to decorate.

He lifted a few strands of her hair that had stuck to her lips, and she sighed before blinking her eyes open.

“Good morning.” Kakashi smiled softly at her.

Mei hummed a greeting in reply as her eyelids fluttered.

He kissed her cheek and nuzzled her temple with his nose. “Why don’t you sleep a little longer? I’ll get us something to eat.”

Mei sleepily hummed her assent and rolled onto her side as Kakashi eased himself out of bed. He tried to keep quiet as he readied himself to leave.

 

He glanced at various shop windows on his way to the bakery he’d decided to get their breakfast from. Since Mei was sleeping, Kakashi took a little time to pick up a few last-minute gifts after considering the recent events and the change in their holiday plans.

He had a bag laden with store-wrapped gifts in one hand and a box of assorted pastries in the other when he unexpectedly crossed paths with the current leader of the Hidden Leaf.

“Kaka-sensei! Good morning!”

Kakashi nodded a greeting to his former student as the younger man approached him. “Good morning Naruto. Have you escaped the office or am I talking to a shadow clone?”

“Heh, yeah- clone.” The replica of the Hokage chuckled as he pointed to himself. “I was made to get ramen for… myself. But hey! I’m glad your plans have changed y’know, and you’ll be spending the holiday here in the Leaf.”

“What do you know of my holiday plans?” Kakashi narrowed his eyes at the piercing blue ones of his successor’s copy.

“I mean since Lady Mei is here,” Naruto’s clone lowered his voice so that he couldn’t be overheard.

Kakashi’s eyes widened in surprise, and he coughed in a weak attempt to hide it.

“Kaka-sensei, I can sense your chakra y’know. I know when you’re gone, and I recognize Lady Mei’s when she’s here. You’ve been spending a lot of time with her eh? _Eh?_ ” The clone winked at him as he dug his elbow into Kakashi’s ribs.

Kakashi stood speechless, dumbfounded that he could have made such a miscalculation.

The clone, however, continued to chuckle at him. “Don’t worry, I haven’t told anyone else and I won’t. I’m happy for you, y’know? I’m glad you found someone.”

“Found someone?” Kakashi’s voice returned to him.

“Yeah! Like me, well the real me, and Hinata, y’know? I’m happy for you.” The shadow-clone-Naruto smiled at him as brightly as the original. “Well, I better hurry and get that ramen for me. Bye Kaka-sensei! Have a Merry Christmas!”

“Uh, yeah. You too- Merry Christmas.” Kakashi barely heard himself speak as the clone dashed in the direction of Ichiraku. If he could’ve sat down, he would have. Instead, he stepped one foot in front of the other and pushed his way to his apartment with the clone’s words echoing in his head.

 

Kakashi eased his kitchen window open to set his bundles on the table. The smell of coffee wafted out along with Mei’s voice as he crawled in through the narrow portal to his apartment.

“…yes, thank you for making the adjustment. I appreciate your help and Merry Christmas!” Mei hastily ended the call she’d made from his phone on the kitchen wall opposite him.

She reached for a cup that sat on the counter and giggled at him when she brought it to her lips.

“That’s my favorite mug,” Kakashi said as he closed the window behind him.

“Is it? Here, you have this one then.” Mei stretched her arm out to hand him the mug.

He took it from her, and she turned to one of his cupboards, standing on tiptoe to reach for another cup.

Kakashi looked at the mug he held. “You made coffee? This is the first time you’ve stayed here; I didn’t know you knew where I kept it.”

“Well, I had to snoop a little to find it. But you were taking longer than I expected so I didn’t think you’d mind.” Mei had her back to him as she poured coffee into the mug she held.

“I didn’t realize you expected me back at a certain time.” Kakashi wasn’t sure why he was annoyed as he looked down at the cup of coffee he held. It warmed his hands, and he was glad to have it ready when he returned.

“I didn’t.” Mei had turned to face him and eyed him curiously as she blew on the hot cup of coffee she held. “It gave me a chance to tie up some loose ends before we look for a tree.”

Kakashi continued to look at his cup of coffee instead of encouraging the conversation further. Mei set her cup down on the table and peeked into the box of pastries.

“This is the bakery I stopped in the morning I walked to meet you at the tea shop.” Mei giggled again as she plucked one out and took a bite from it.

“I didn’t know that when I decided to stop there,” Kakashi said without looking up from his coffee.

Mei swallowed her bite and studied him. “Are you feeling alright?”

“I’m fine.” Kakashi looked up at her as he gave his short reply.

She nodded her head slowly. “Ok.” Then she set her pastry down and stepped towards him. “We were in such a rush to get here; we don’t have to hurry out to get the tree. In fact,” she slipped one arm around his waist and reached for his mask with the other, “I wouldn’t mind crawling back into your nice, warm bed with you.”

Kakashi grabbed her hand before she could pull his mask down. “No, we should go get it. Let me wash up quickly and change into something warmer.”

His reaction visibly shocked Mei. It shocked him too. He set the coffee down without having taken a sip and walked to his bathroom.

Kakashi closed the door behind him and stared at his reflection in the mirror. The clone’s words continued to reverberate in his mind: _‘I’m glad you found someone.’_

Kakashi enjoyed the time he spent with Mei and thought of her often. He didn’t know when it had happened, but she had become woven into his life. He made plans with her in mind.

Just the day before he’d counted Mei among those precious to him; traveling all the way to the Mist to clear up a misunderstanding between them was exceedingly out of character for him, yet he hadn’t thought twice about it. _‘Why?’_ he silently asked his reflection.

 _‘You were afraid of losing her,’_ his mind supplied an answer.

Afraid. The word begged for his attention over any other. Without his awareness, Kakashi had grown close to Mei, depended upon her presence, and the strength of his regard for her became clear to him.

Instead of being content with forming an attachment to Mei, Kakashi realized he was already frightened of losing it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did I say 3 chapters? I meant 5. :-)


	4. The Space Between

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The holidays and different time zones have made it challenging to connect with my beta up to now. So if my punctuation suddenly seems better, that's because Moonlight_Lily is back to help me look good! Thank you so much, my dear <3

Mei remained rooted to the spot after Kakashi’s rejection and hasty exit. At first, she thought his irritability stemmed from too little sleep and the round trip by train between their villages the day before. However, his behavior hinted at a deeper problem, and she couldn’t help feeling that she was the source somehow.

It didn’t appear to be something he was prepared to discuss, either.

Mei’s need to protect herself from further hurt urged her to act, and she went into Kakashi’s bedroom to gather her things to leave. She dressed quickly and quietly as she surveyed the room for any other belongings she’d unpacked while he had been away that morning. She realized her toothbrush and hairbrush were in the bathroom where he had shut himself in.

Pulling her suitcase behind her, Mei quietly walked to his kitchen and the door that led out of his apartment. On the table behind the box of pastries lay the scroll that Kakashi had used to seal the ornaments she’d purchased, and the sight of it stopped her in her tracks.

Kakashi had traveled all the way to Kirigakure to face her, proving he cared for her. The thought calmed Mei as she lowered herself to sit at his table and she curled her fingers around the scroll. She held it in her lap as she chastised herself for wanting to run away without a word to him about it. There had to be a reason for his sudden change in behavior towards her. She could understand needing time to sift through his emotions himself; she’d done just that the day before. Leaving would deny him the opportunity to explain himself.

She heard the bathroom door open and Kakashi’s steps as he walked to his bedroom. “ **Mei!** ” he yelled as he ran to the kitchen where he didn’t know she still sat.

He stopped when he saw her and leaned against the doorframe, visibly relieved. Mei’s heart fluttered; she was glad she hadn’t left. Kakashi’s reaction was worth staying for, and it reassured her.

“I was afraid you’d left.” His voice seemed quieter than usual, especially after shouting her name.

“I almost did.” Mei met his eyes. “I’m glad I didn’t, but I’m still afraid of whatever it is that’s bothering you.”

Kakashi flinched a little when she said she was afraid, and Mei didn’t miss that. Something was weighing on him, and she was encouraged to offer the plan she had been forming after her temper had cooled.

“I’m sure that all the inns in Konoha are booked for the holiday. I’m going to see Lord Seventh and discreetly ask to be given a guestroom in the Hokage Tower.”

Kakashi tilted his head to rest it against the doorframe, but his eyes didn’t leave hers. “I’ve ruined the holiday for us.” The defeat in his voice, his quickness to blame himself, was so unlike the Rokudaime Hokage as she had come to know him. It made Mei’s chest ache.

“You haven’t ruined anything Kakashi. Truth be told, I’m still a little shaken by the doubts I had yesterday. I do not doubt you,” she was quick to amend her statement and pursed her lips while she gathered her thoughts.

“I don’t blame you for second-guessing… whatever this is between us,” she waved the hand that didn’t hold the scroll between them as she spoke, “after I’ve said there are things in my past that I’m unwilling to share. I would be suspicious of me too.” Mei let her hand fall with a weak laugh. “I just want to give you a little time and space away from me to think, and I don’t want to be on the receiving end of your frustration while you sort it out.”

“I don’t want,” Kakashi began but stopped himself. He closed his eyes and exhaled audibly through his nose. He opened his eyes to meet hers and crossed the room to where she sat.

His knees made a popping sound as he crouched down in front of her. “I am trying to make sense of something. But I assure you,” he covered her free hand with his, “it has _nothing_ to do with your past.”

Mei looked down at their hands and turned hers over to press her palm to his. She looked up at him again when he lifted his other hand to pull his mask down.

“Whatever this is between us,” Kakashi repeated her words, “is important to me. I’m not as worried about the past as I am about the future. I’m sorry for how I acted when I came back.”

He cupped Mei’s face with his free hand. “I don’t want you to feel like you have to leave to give me space. I don’t want you to leave at all, but I’ll respect your decision if that’s what you would prefer.”

“You don’t want me to leave?” Mei asked, searching his eyes.

“I don’t want you to leave,” Kakashi replied without hesitation. “I know that I’m asking a lot of you to be patient with me while I resolve this on my own, but I can promise you that I won’t take it out on you again.” He squeezed her hand before adding, “and I don’t want to change our holiday plans either, Mei.”

Mei searched his eyes once more before lowering hers to her lap. She gazed at the scroll she held while she considered her options.

She didn’t want to leave, especially after their plans had already changed once. The previous day had worn her out, and Mei supposed she was still sensitive from it. She didn’t know if she would be up to the challenge of remaining so near to Kakashi physically while his mind was elsewhere, but if she left, she knew she would drive herself crazy overanalyzing and worrying by herself in a guestroom. Her mind made up, she lifted her eyes to Kakashi’s again and nodded. “I’ll stay.”

“Thank you.” Kakashi smoothed his thumb over her cheek and stood up and away from her so she could stand as well. Mei set the scroll down on the table again and pulled her suitcase behind her to his bedroom once more.

She brought it on top of the bed and opened it again. Mei wanted to unpack and feel settled, but after Kakashi’s annoyance at her rummaging through his cupboards to make coffee, she was nervous about intruding on his space.

Pushing aside the stubborn, fleeting thought that she’d made the wrong decision she unpacked only those items that needed to be hung up. Mei retrieved her toothbrush and hairbrush from his bathroom and closed them away along with the rest of her toiletries, her other garments, and the gift she’d finished wrapping before their rushed departure from Kirigakure the night before.

She poked her head out to the hallway and found Kakashi still standing in the kitchen. He was gazing at the floor, one hand stuffed in a pocket and the fingers of the other tugging lightly at the mask bunched around his neck. Mei cleared her throat to catch his attention gently, and he looked up at her. “I have a couple of things I’d like to hang up if that’s alright?” she asked.

“Sure, there are spare hangers in the closet. Help yourself.”

“Ok,” Mei whispered to herself as she turned back to her task. For a man that was so upset by a woman invading his kitchen, Kakashi was strangely open and inviting about his bedroom closet. She opened the closet door wondering why women had been dubbed the moodiest of the sexes and looked inside.

There were two rows of neatly hung garments within. The rod furthest from her supported trousers and two yukatas, while the one nearest to her was where he hung his shirts and vests. His articles of clothing were organized by color: pea green, dark blue, grey and black. It made Mei think of a somber sort of rainbow as she reached for two spare hangers that had been neatly pushed to one side.

Mei threaded the hangers through the straps of the two dresses she’d brought and carried them to the closet where she hung them neatly apart from his other clothes on the rack in front. She checked to make sure they hung above the floor of the closet and found a small, brightly wrapped package with her name on it next to a few pairs of shoes.

Mei smiled at it and resisted the urge to shake it and guess at what he had chosen for her gift. She closed the closet door and leaned against it. With her ability to be patient with him renewed, she pushed herself away from the closet and returned to the kitchen where he stood.

Kakashi drew in a quick breath and dropped his hand from his mask when she entered. “Ready to go look for a tree?”

“Actually, I meant it when I said we didn’t have to hurry and find one.” Mei picked up her cup that she’d abandoned earlier and poured the now-cold coffee down the drain. She poured a fresh cup from the pot she had brewed and turned to face him again.

“I really am worn out from yesterday. Would it be alright if we just sat still for a day?” She eyed him cautiously as she blew on her coffee before taking a sip from it. “I wouldn’t mind curling up with a book, taking a hot bath later and ordering dinner in. We have time tomorrow before we’re expected at dinner with your friends, right?”

Kakashi’s shoulders relaxed, and his eyes brightened. It seemed that having a quiet day agreed with him, too. “We do have time tomorrow.” He smiled as he shrugged his vest off.

Encouraged that he was relaxing a bit, Mei returned his smile. “You have quite a collection of books in the other room. Would you mind if I just chose one for myself then? I’ll stay out of your hair after that.”

Kakashi’s spine stiffened. He went pale before scratching at the back of his head. “I’d better help you navigate my collection.” He coughed. “Or we could make a quick trip to the Konoha Library.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I underestimated this story again. There will be 6 chapters. I think. xD


	5. Here and Now

A day of sitting still had done little to quiet the noise in Kakashi’s mind.

He was aware of the wide berth Mei had given him since that morning. She had been walking on eggshells around him and made no further attempt at affectionate physical contact of any kind. His assumption that she feared further rejection pained him. The fact that she chose to remain near him despite her fear of being hurt wasn’t lost on him.

After Kakashi’s brief panic at what she might stumble upon in his personal collection of books, Mei had adopted the likeness of an elderly man for their trip to the Konoha Library. He withheld the information that Naruto was aware of her presence in the Hidden Leaf out of fear that it would make her further self-conscious. As it was, her choice of henge and the respectful distance she maintained from him was unlike her behavior on previous outings.

When they returned, Mei asked to make tea for herself, then took it and her book to settle on Kakashi’s couch, where she sat and read quietly for the remainder of the afternoon. He had taken his own cup of tea, and a book- a respectable one from the library, which he hoped would serve to distract him while he sat in an armchair across from her. Although the silence between them seemed a comfortable one, he wondered if she was as absorbed in her book as she appeared to be. His eyes frequently left the pages in front of them, in favor of drifting up to watch her.

Mei’s absentminded gestures included tugging on her bottom lip and twirling the auburn tendrils that framed her face between her fingers. Occasionally, she’d wet her thumb and press it to the top corner of a page before turning it. Kakashi observed her delicate, feminine habits, struck that she did _not_ look out of place within his home. But his mind would not allow him to just admire her.

Kakashi wondered if his father had watched the woman he’d cared for that way. It would explain the many times he’d caught Sakumo staring at an empty chair near a window in his childhood home.

He better understood Obito’s deep longing for Rin.

Rather than appreciate the vision before him, Kakashi’s thoughts propelled him to a future where he was left with only the memory of Mei; adding to his collection of memories he had of so many others he’d cared about in his life.

Every time Kakashi came closer to understanding what it was he was afraid of, his breath would become shallow. He would return his eyes to the book he held and count in his head until he could calm the thoughts that urged his pulse to race.

The afternoon passed until it became dark enough to make it difficult even to pretend to read. As Kakashi set his book aside to switch on a couple of lamps, he wondered why Mei hadn’t asked if they could be turned on sooner. She rubbed her eyes at the bright, artificial light as he walked towards her.

Kakashi ran his fingers through her hair. “What would you like for dinner?”

Mei’s voice was a little hoarse after hours of disuse. “Anything that’s a little sweet and spicy, with chicken and vegetables, please.”

He had anticipated her request. “With noodles instead of rice, correct?”

“That’s right.” She smiled up at him.

Kakashi let her hair fall from his fingers before turning to his kitchen to find a menu and place their delivery order while Mei returned to her book.

 

As she promised she would, Mei had a long bath after their dinner. Kakashi smiled for the first time since before he’d first left that morning when she had to refresh the water that had grown cold while she soaked. It was another long while until she finally poked her head out to bid him goodnight. “I think I left enough hot water for you to have a shower,” she said through a lopsided grin before retreating into his bedroom.

Kakashi walked the remaining takeout containers into his kitchen to toss in the trash. He was tired from the day before, tired from so little sleep and tired from the troubling thoughts that wouldn’t leave him alone. He decided to rinse and leave the dishes until the next morning, even though there were twice as many as usual in his sink.

Once he was in the shower stall, he closed his eyes and ducked a bit to let the hot spray from the shower splash over his face. The droplets that pelted his eyelids and lips relaxed him. He took longer shampooing his hair because the action released the tension in his neck and shoulders. After toweling off and stepping into the loose cotton trousers he kept hanging on the back of his bathroom door, he brushed his teeth and retired to his bedroom.

Mei laid on her side with her back to him; tucked into herself on one half of his bed. The moonlight filtered in through his curtained window and he looked at the braid that she had woven her hair into. Kakashi suddenly remembered how he had thought to help her brush the tangles out of her hair that morning. Then he remembered how he had pushed her away.

Kakashi didn’t know if Mei had already fallen asleep, but he guessed that she hadn’t. He draped an arm over her and pulled her against him, curling his body around hers. She wrapped her arms around his before whispering, “I’d hoped I could compliment your life rather than complicate it, Kakashi.”

“You do, Mei.”  He meant it, as he kissed her head, breathing in the scent of her hair until he nodded off.

 

Kakashi woke to morning light working its way through his closed eyelids and two fingers gently stroking his jaw. He turned his head and opened his eyes to Mei lying next to him on her stomach. She giggled at him. “I’m sorry to wake you, but you were snoring so loudly. I was afraid you’d give yourself a sore throat.”

He was shocked into alertness. “I was not.” He hoped his denial would be enough to make it untrue.

“Yes, you were.” She dissolved into laughter, pressing her face into her pillow.

“What kind of ninja snores?” He ran a hand through his hair, testing its state of unruliness.

“The exhausted kind.” Mei lifted her hand in an attempt to smooth his bangs down, her eyes sparkling with amusement. “Did you sleep well?”

“I must have,” he chuckled. Kakashi did feel rested though and was glad of it. He caught her hand and kissed it before holding it against his chest. “It’s Christmas Eve; we should look for a tree.”

“You’re right.” Mei nudged his shoulder with her nose. “I’ll start getting ready.”

“Would you mind making coffee first?” He squeezed her hand in his. “I like the way you make coffee better.”

Kakashi wondered why this made Mei so happy as she genuinely smiled at him and kissed him before kicking the covers off herself to start the day.

 

This time, Mei was disguised as an elderly woman and Kakashi considered it yet another improvement from the day before. They trudged together through the snow, searching the eastern end of the dense forest that surrounded Konoha in search of a suitable tree.

He agreed to Mei’s sixth choice of the perfect tree, her first five being much too large for his apartment. Kakashi heard her say in a gravelly voice so different from her own, “Did you bring an ax?”

He raised an eyebrow at her before turning to the tree, cleanly severing it just above the ground with his lightning blade and a little more flourish than was necessary. He then quickly formed the hand signs to create an earth wall to prevent the tree from crashing into the ground.

“Show off,” she muttered through a much less toothy smile and pulled a scroll from her sleeve to seal the tree away.

 

They had overestimated the size of his living room, and Kakashi had to quickly trim the top of the tree off before it broke through the ceiling. Once it was secured in the stand Mei had purchased, he rearranged his living room furniture to accommodate it while she pruned some of the branches to even out its appearance.

Mei handed a couple of strands of lights to Kakashi with the instruction to wind them around and between the branches of the tree. He obeyed as she organized and fussed over the ornaments she purchased for the occasion. When he plugged them into the wall to check that all the bulbs worked, her happiness exuded through her wide beaming smile.

He unplugged the lights and watched her from where he stood behind the tree. Mei’s excitement was practically palpable, but the worry of future sadness began to creep back into Kakashi’s thoughts. He thought his fear of becoming more deeply attached to her, that it would result in greater pain for him, had passed. But it had only receded and took hold of him again now.

Kakashi began to withdraw into himself, trying to keep his troubles from touching Mei. However, she seemed preoccupied enough not to notice his detachment. He stood back, watching her without truly seeing her as she carefully arranged the decorations on the tree. He convinced himself she was content with asking for and receiving his occasional opinion on her work, but he couldn’t bring himself to participate further.

Mei stood back to admire the tree after she’d hung the last ornament. “It’ll be so lovely when it’s lit up at night,” she cooed at it.

All the ornaments she had chosen were red, gold, and ivory. The decorated tree stood without rival in his muted, masculine home and Kakashi thought it looked incredible as it was, bathed in the sunlight that flooded the room.

Mei turned to him as if to say something but stopped herself when her eyes met his. Some of his sorrow must’ve been plain on his face because her smile faltered a bit. “We should probably get ready to go now,” she rallied and collected the empty ornament boxes to seal away.

Mei took her turn in the bathroom first while Kakashi went to his bedroom closet to choose his clothes for the evening. He looked at her dresses hanging in his closet, and his attention was pulled to the gift he had hidden there. He picked it up, realizing he wasn’t too late to add something of his own to the tree.

He shuffled through the bag of last-minute gifts that he had left on his kitchen table since the day before. Kakashi pulled one out and carried both to set beneath the tree. He contemplated his additions to the cheer in his home when Mei emerged from the bathroom, signaling his turn to get ready.

By the time he walked past the tree again on his way to leave for Kurenai’s, a third gift had appeared underneath.

“Ready?” Came a voice he didn’t recognize.

Kakashi looked at the woman Mei had chosen to disguise herself as and replied, “not quite.”

He placed his hand on her arm, sending a burst of chakra into her to disrupt her transformation. “I want to spend Christmas with you.”

 

When the pair joined the other guests within Kurenai’s home, Kakashi imagined he could hear a senbon drop within the silent surprise that filled the room. He chuckled that he hadn’t imagined it when he saw that Genma’s mouth still hung open in shock. Gai was the first to recover, winking at his eternal rival and giving him a thumbs-up from across the room.

Kakashi watched Mei as she interacted with those he’d known his whole life as they all sat to dinner. At first, she spoke less and laughed louder than usual but by the time the meal had ended she seemed a bit more at ease among them.

Kurenai stood up from her table. “Kakashi, could you help bring the dishes to the kitchen for me?”

“Of course.” He quickly stood up to collect as many dishes as he could carry and followed their hostess to her kitchen.

The moment he’d set the dishes on her counter, Kurenai rounded on him with her piercing red eyes. “What are you doing?” she whispered, exasperated.

She took Kakashi by surprise, and he couldn’t hide it when he whispered back, “what?”

Kurenai’s face softened. Her eyes darted between his as she asked, “where are you tonight? Because it isn’t in the here and now.”

Kakashi crumbled a little under her gaze and acute observation of him.

She placed her hands on his shoulders. “Kakashi, I have watched you isolate yourself, living most of your life from the past. I’m so glad that you’ve accepted my invitation, but it would mean so much to all of us if you joined us in the Christmas present.”

Kurenai took a step back from him to lean against her counter. “Lady Mei is an extraordinary woman, and I am not surprised that she caught your attention.”

Kakashi stuffed his hands in his pockets, but his old friend wasn’t about to let him withdraw from the conversation.  “She’s been on pins and needles all evening, obviously aware of your detachment. Despite that, she’s doing an excellent job of endearing herself to your friends while you’re too stuck in your head to help her.”

Kakashi winced at her next words. “It’s clearer to me than it is to her that you care for her. What are you afraid of?”

He sighed before meeting her eyes again, torn between being truthful with and insensitive to his friend. He settled on honesty. “I’m afraid of losing her, Kurenai.”

“So, you’re pushing her away instead? I’m no genius, but I don’t think that would make sense to anyone.” Kurenai folded her arms across her chest and drew in a deep breath. “Close your eyes and listen to what is happening at this moment.”

He did as he was told. Gai’s booming voice, issuing a general challenge to the room assaulted his ears. He heard Genma’s cackle and Ebisu’s pompous refusal layered just beneath Mei’s bubbling laughter. The happy chaos was so different than the imagined reality he’d been dwelling in. He heard Mei’s voice rise above the others when she said, “hold my drink!”

His eyes flew open and focused on Kurenai again. She smiled at him. “The only ghosts among us are the ones you insist upon inviting here, Kakashi.”

He turned on his heel and walked into the room where the others were. He could never have imagined the sight that greeted him, that anchored him in the present.

Genma was doubled over in laughter with his hands on his knees; his senbon had fallen to the floor again. Unsurprisingly, Gai had launched himself into a handstand and was proudly counting off one-armed pushups. Ebisu turned his face towards Kakashi, slack-jawed. He held Mei’s drink in one hand while the other held her hair out of her face. Mei had tied the hem of her dress tightly between her knees, and she was doing an admirable job of matching Gai’s pace, counting off her own one-armed pushups. Kurenai’s laughter erupted behind him.

Kakashi walked towards Mei and rescued her from Gai’s challenge. He set her on her feet and held her close enough to whisper in her ear. “I’m glad I found someone too, and I won’t let go now.”


	6. Reconciliation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you (again and again) to Moonlight_Lily for acting as beta for the last half of this story. I will update with her suggested edits to the first three chapters soon. You're not only my comma gal, you're a source of support and encouragement while I write xoxo
> 
> Comments are also a wonderful and sometimes necessary source of support and encouragement. So if you're reading and enjoying this story, please let me know. Thank you in advance.

Mei smiled at Kurenai while Kakashi knelt and untied her dress, thankful for whatever had transpired in that kitchen.

They didn’t remain much longer with his friends, but Kakashi laughed and spoke more than he had in the days leading up to that point. He held Mei’s hand as he sat next to her and held it again during the whole walk back to his apartment building. He let go of it only to scoop her up in his arms and marched up the side of the building to use his preferred entrance to his apartment.

“Why the window?” she asked as he set her down on the kitchen floor.

“Why not?” he answered her question with a question and tugged his mask down to reveal his smile.

Kakashi crawled in and closed the window behind him. He tugged off his shoes which were wet from the snow. Mei followed suit, and when she straightened, he kissed her. His warm mouth contrasted with the chilled tip of his nose when it pressed into her cheek.

“Wait here,” he breathed against her lips.

From her vantage point in the kitchen, Mei could see soft lighting come to life in his living room.

Kakashi returned and grabbed her hands. He walked backward, pulling her into the next room and led her to his couch. “Come and sit in your spot.”

While Mei settled herself in the space she had occupied most of the previous day, he clapped his hands and rubbed them together as he watched her. His smile momentarily vanished when he asked, “Are you cold?”

“My feet are, a little.” Mei tilted her head at his change of countenance.

Kakashi darted to his bedroom. He returned with a pair of Konoha-issued woolen socks and his shuriken bedspread.

Mei pulled on the socks after he handed them to her. They were much too big for her feet but soft and warm. Kakashi sat beside her, draped the blanket over them and looped his arm behind her, wrapping around her shoulders and pulling her closer to lean against him. She folded her legs, bending them at the knee, so her feet rested on the couch, tucked beneath the blanket.

She rested her head against his shoulder as they quietly gazed at the lighted Christmas tree. The scent of pine had permeated the room during their absence. Every inhale of the sweet, refreshing aroma enhanced Mei’s appreciation of the tree. The soft, white lights illuminated the red and gold and cream-colored ornaments she had chosen. “It’s lovelier than I thought it would be,” she quietly approved of her work.

“It’s the loveliest thing here, next to you.” Kakashi turned his face to press his lips to the top of her head, kissing her there long and slow.

Mei closed her eyes, wanting to savor the moment and his tenderness without the doubt that niggled at her. Kakashi had run hot and cold for the last two days. She wanted to believe that his affectionate behavior would last, but she was afraid to.

“Mei, what are your expectations of me?” Kakashi interrupted her thoughts.

She thought she detected a little vulnerability in his soft-spoken, husky voice. She respected how difficult it was for him to ask that of her and gazed at the tree while she thoroughly considered her answer.

“I don’t have any. I admit that I have an overactive imagination, but those are daydreams, not expectations. I know the difference between the two.”

She felt the hot breath of his sigh as it escaped his nose and the pressure of his lips as he kissed her again on the top of her head.

Mei needed to ease her own worry as well. “Kakashi, when you need to think your way through something, please give me the option of giving you space as opposed to shutting me out. And,” she lifted her head, so she could look at him, “I will need you to tell me when you’ve resolved it, for my own peace of mind.” She pressed one hand to his face and searched his eyes, “Can I trust that you’re back now?”

Kakashi closed his eyes and nodded. He lowered his forehead to hers and whispered, “I’m sorry that I put you through that.”

He raised his head and regarded her. “I know I should simply appreciate it, but it’s overwhelming to think that I could be so understood by someone. I’m not accustomed to sharing myself, but I will try because I want you in my life.”

Kakashi threaded his fingers through her hair and tilted her head to apply his lips to hers. When the kiss broke, she watched the reflected lights of the tree dance in his eyes before he spoke again, “I’m beginning to think of you as my reward for the struggles in my life, Mei.”

She felt her breath leave her and she closed her eyes to the intensity of her feelings.

Mei spoke through trembling lips, “I don’t deserve that Kakashi, but I hope I will someday.” She opened her eyes again and willed the tears to stay within them.

He furrowed his eyebrows so that creases formed between them before he asked, “Why would you think that?”

“I,” She swallowed, losing the battle to the tears. “I haven’t always been…” Mei couldn’t finish her sentence.

Kakashi finished it for her. “I don’t like to think of you suffering Mei, but I’m sure you have. Whatever has happened before has brought you here now. That’s what matters most to me.”

Mei choked on a sob and buried her face in his shoulder. “It is profound to feel accepted by you, Kakashi.”

He shifted his body, placing his hand beneath her chin to urge her face up to his. Mei kept her eyes closed but allowed him to lead her as tears ran freely down her face. She felt relief before she felt his kiss.

This kiss outshone the first one they shared. They breathed through it, unwilling to end it as their lips moved against, parted for, and caressed one another's.

Mei was falling before she realized it and Kakashi caught her, cradling her in his lap. She wound her arms around his shoulders and clung to him, burying her face into the crook of his neck and breathed him in, deeply.

She lifted the fabric mask pooled beneath his jawline so that she could press her lips to his throat over and over and over. Mei slid one hand to the front of his shirt to undo the buttons, to reveal more of his skin to smell, touch, and taste.

Kakashi stood up, lifting her in his arms as he rose, and the blanket fell to the floor at his feet. Mei fisted his shirt with both hands, pulling it free from his trousers. Kakashi turned around, and his knees creaked when he lowered himself to lay her down on the couch again.

He tugged the fabric mask that circled his neck over his head. Mei pushed his opened shirt off his shoulders and down his arms. As soon as his hands were free, he gently held her face. Mei circled the fingers of one of her hands around his and turned her face to kiss his palm. She could taste the salt of her own tears on his skin.

Mei felt his free hand leave her face and smooth down the length of her body. Kakashi buried his face in the swell of her breasts as his hand traveled back upwards, pushing her dress up with it. She held and kissed his hand until she had to let go so he could pull her dress over her head.

Kakashi lowered his face to kiss her body just below her ribs. Mei lightly scratched her fingers through his unruly silver hair, pressing his head deeper into her. She heard him unfasten his belt and unzip his trousers. He pulled his face from her, pushing his trousers and his underwear down to step out of them.

Mei took in the sight of her lover, standing naked and wanting her, illuminated by the Christmas tree behind him. She extended one long, graceful arm to him, needing to touch and be touched by him again.

Kakashi hooked his fingers with the ones she offered to him while she twisted her other arm behind her to undo the clasp of her bra. He released her fingers, kneeling beside the couch she lay upon as she removed the garment and he was kissing her bared breasts before she let it drop from her fingers to the floor.

Mei arched her back at the sensations of his soft, wet lips and tongue on the sensitive skin of her breasts. Kakashi already knew her body, knew how to please her. But this was an altogether new and different experience with him. It was as if they were speaking to each other without words.

His fingers hooked around the waistband of her panties, and she lifted her hips, so he could pull them down and off her legs. Mei gasped when he cupped her sex, and she felt the hot puff of air Kakashi released against her breast when he pushed his finger inside her.

He lowered his face, trailing his tongue down to do what he knew brought her pleasure. It wasn’t what Mei needed or wanted this time, though. She needed to feel the weight of Kakashi’s body on her. She needed to feel him around her and inside her.

Mei tugged at his arm urging him to look up at her. Kakashi smiled and rose from the floor. She parted her legs to him, and he settled himself between them. He bent his arms at the elbow on either side of her head to brace himself and slowly pushed into her body.

Her eyes fluttered, and his breath fanned her face as they adjusted to the physical connection between them. Mei’s body was accustomed to Kakashi’s when he filled her. But this time, he reached her in places she thought impossible to touch as he rocked her body beneath his.

Mei felt like she was drowning, and she surrendered to it. There were no moans, no grunts, no pleasured cries to accompany the gentle passion they shared together. Only the sound of their breathing filled the room. Neither she nor Kakashi broke eye contact as they came closer and closer to climax.

Mei reached hers first, sighing at the sweet convulsions he stroked from her. Her eyelids closed, and her mouth fell open wider as she gasped. She barely felt Kakashi suck her bottom lip in between both of his over the trembles that first took over her body, and then his.

He nestled his face against her collarbone, and she felt his body relax in her arms. Mei opened her eyes to the Christmas tree and was delighted to find that the view had improved. “Kakashi,” she whispered, “look.”

It had begun to snow outside. Thick, heavy flakes fell straight down past the windows on either side of the tree.

Mei reached for his shuriken bedspread and covered their bodies with it. They laid there, watching the snow fall and basking in the glow of the tree until their eyelids refused to stay open.

 

 

On Christmas morning, Mei wore her new silver hair combs and Kakashi’s shirt while she watched him unwrap his gift. She reached over the new telephone he’d also given her for a cup of the coffee she’d brewed and tried to hide her nervous anticipation of his reaction.

He unwrapped the gift with great care not to rip the paper as he removed it from the box it covered. Mei was doing her best to be patient with his meticulous nature. Kakashi lifted the box lid and set it aside.

She smiled at his smile as he reacted to the crimson red kimono she’d chosen for him. “Check between the folds,” she urged him.

She knew her eyes were sparkling; she couldn’t help her excitement. Kakashi reached into the part of the fabric and pulled out the details of a reservation she’d made.

“Now, there’s been an adjustment to the original plan I had,” Mei began to explain her gift. “In Kirigakure, we set off fireworks on New Year’s, and I had booked us for a harbor cruise where we could watch them from the water. The fireworks are so lovely, Kakashi when they're reflected on the waves; I just had to share it with you.”

He leaned over to kiss her. “I’m happy to spend New Year’s with you, but what’s the adjustment?”

Mei giggled. “Well, to avoid any last-minute changes to our plans, I called in a favor the day after we arrived here. Instead of booking a room for just us, I secured an entire boat, in case you wanted to invite your friends to join us.” She smiled at him sheepishly. Mei quickly added, “Whom I adore by the way. Kurenai especially, I think.”

Kakashi took her cup of coffee from her and set it aside. He gathered her giggling form up into his lap and kissed her. “Thank you for everything you’ve done to make this Christmas special, Mei.”

“Thank you for letting me be a part of your Christmas, Kakashi,” she whispered against his lips, smiling. “It is a very merry one this year.”

 

** The End **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This romantic saga will continue <3


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